Benaras Hindu University to allow students to see checked answer books

Lucknow, Aug 31 (IANS) To bring transparency in the examination process, the faculty of science at Benaras Hindu University (BHU) has launched a new system under which the answer books, after being checked by the invigilators, will be distributed among the students, officials added.Officials added that in this first-of-its-kind initiative undertaken by a university in the country, results will be declared only after the students express satisfaction over the markings.

“In case any student objects to the marks, the matter will be scrutinized by experts at the department concerned, including the department head,” Prof B.D. Singh, dean of the science faculty told IANS.

“The matter will be sorted out within three days,” he added.

“The system will ensure a fully fair marking system, especially one which addresses common errors like totalling of marks. And adequate checks have also been formulated to prevent misuse of the new system,” Singh added.

“The system will eliminate need for re-evaluation process, which was time consuming and also costly as copies were re-checked mostly by outstation examiners. Besides, students going for re-evaluation wait for months to get the revalued marks,” chairman of curriculum framing committee, Prof K.N. Srivastava told IANS.

For the first time after 1970s, the science faculty has also bid farewell to the annual exam system and has introduced semester system in its B.Sc programme.

“The programme will now comprise of six semesters (two semesters every year), which makes BHU perhaps the only university in the country to have semester-based B.Sc programme,” added Srivatava.

In another unique addition, the maths and biology Group students will no longer study their core streams alone, but will also study ‘ancillary subjects’ from opposite groups.

“The maths students will study biology and biology group students will study maths stream subjects. Five ancillary subjects have been introduced, which will be studied by students of both biology and math Groups from Semester I to V in addition to combination of three core subjects of the main group,” Prof G.S. Yadav, a member of the Committee said.

This will ensure students of both groups have knowledge of all science branches and not only subjects of their choice, he added.

Four compulsory subjects - environmental studies, english, history of science in ancient India, philosophy of science/science communication and ethics in science - have also been introduced.

“While english has been made compulsory keeping in mind requirements of global job market, environmental science will be taught to comply with Supreme Court’s order making its teaching compulsory in colleges,” added Yadav.

The new system will be applicable only to students who have taken admission in B.Sc programme this academic session.